Things I Have Learned

Things I have learned recently:
1. Police SUV's are very fast, but don't have any special engines.
2. Police officers after a while do not react to things with adrenaline. Such as walking up to a dark house, walking into a domestic dispute, dealing with cranky people
3. Police officers get asked questions all day by their commanding officers, etc etc so they don't want to go home to a wife that asks them more questions. It irks them.
4. The seatbelts in the back are controlled by the officer in the front. You can't unbuckle without their assistance.
5. Sometimes in non-emergencies police run red lights and speed a bit.
6. My 911 line is okey-dokey with people calling for a non-emergency. No matter how much they pound that into your head when you are in Seattle, when you hit my neighborhood, don't worry about calling for something mild. They will even act like a guest services desk in a mall and look things up for you. (even if you tell them you don't need it because you feel guilty for using the line)
7. My neighborhood/city police are super, super, super nice and helpful.
8. Sheila's Cafe has a great waitress. This may become my "Vera's" replacement.
9. Mor MOR's has excellent hot chocolate.
10. Tizley's is a place I highly recommend, good view, great staff, great food, good beer, games that are fun to play with kidlets.
8. Wilder is taking the WASL this week, and loved it yesterday. Writing is today, he is a bit concerned.

Road Trip ! (Work!)

Since purchasing the mini-homestead (truly truly mini....less than 3 acres) I have not had a trip in the ol' vehicle to my fave Oregon backcountry.
I am heading to a work conference during the week to Portland (way better than Seattle in many ways, according to this ol'timer), and then going to head out into the wild west yonder. Even though I have never lived in the desolate part of Central Oregon (not Bend, the overpopulated Phoenix/Bellevue-like area) when I head down highway 26 it feels like I am going home. No idea why this is. Have already told the kids that I will probably end up here when I retire. There is something there that calls me. In alot of ways my wee farmthing is a teeny splash of Oregon-ness for me. Almost like I moved what I was looking for to Kitsap from Oregon. I get the same feeling when I turn down my road and see the Olympic Mountains towering over my home. Yay! Will post those cool pics when I get back. The kids dad is going to run the show at the wee farm while I am gone. I wish him luck. He thinks he is going to get all these projects done, little does he know how much time this all really takes. Oh, I see the friends who come over and think GGGEEEEEZZZZuuuuuusssss, gal, how many things can you do at one time. I don't think they diagnosed kidlets with ADHD when I was a youngun' otherwise I would be a candidate. (or, perhaps I am a late developer, yet another perk of peri-meno)

Happy Easter! Week in a nutshell.

I am sure Rose is giving me a teenage lecture about something in this picture.

Wilder wishing you a Happy Day
Happy Easter, all. Here is the week in a nutshell.
1. Joined Facebook a bit ago. Former friends from eons ago are coming out of the woodwork. What a strange thing. Don't join Facebook if you are trying to avoid any portion of your previous life. It will find you...
2. Went and helped at the Wing Luke Museum auction. Besides my legs swelling because I was wearing RIDING BOOTS to run around and pack up sold auction items, and wandering the streets of Seattle afterwards because I forgot where I parked (that is a first) it was a blast. Was helped by Seattle's finest homeless folk with the car hunt. Very nice. And, helped me get the big-butted white minivan out of a tight spot. That is where it pays to be a very tall woman. I don't generally get messed with. Re: museum.... if you are in Seattle, I highly recommend a visit to this stellar place, which has become one of my new favorites! www.wingluke.org
3. Slowly things are blooming on the farm. Forsythia and the plum trees are the first to show. (And of course daffodils)
4. Have not been hearing from Mae as much as I usually do. There is a good reason for that. On her way to visit me during spring break with her horses, one flipped out in their trailer and tore part of her hoof off trying to climb the wall. Not pretty. She has a long recovery (horse, not Mae) and all extra moments are taking care of the horse or finding a better horse trailer.
5. Had a toilet explode downstairs. And, it was not a clean toilet. We don't need to say more, other than there was a strong smell of bleach for a day after. I need to replace this bathroom. But am waffling on whether to move it up my priority list. Rose was an immense help running around getting me things as I swore 25 cent words and snarled. She said I was not nice. Welllllll, I was standing in sewage in bare feet. See, another good point to being married. I didn't have to do this before! Thank you kids dad for all the times you did. I feel your pain, now. I can think about it and say.....Ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww. I am cooking my first vegetarian dinner (for kids dad) for Easter. Wish me luck. I am thinking just a big pile of vegetables should do it. The kids and I will enjoy a more delectable assortment of standard easter goodness.